Twisted: Reconciliation
by Uncle Elmo
Summary: A Small fic, detailing what happened to Aeris01 and Elmo after Twisted: Journey's end.


Twisted- Reconciliation  
  
At the Jutagi Ruins, deep within the fantastical borders of Semaj's Dreamscape, the tension had died down with unsettling suddenness. Darwin's brand-new quantum shock cannon, which he had found hidden under the bed on the Starlet, had been transmogified into an unthreatening chunk of wood by Elmo, and he was expecting a crippling barrage of insults from Semaj.  
  
I was not to be completely dissappointed. "Christ, put a piece in some rookie's hands and he thinks he can take on the world. I'd expect FANFIC members to be cut from better timber than this!"  
  
"Elmo! I get sent here to apprehend this guy! Where do you get off getting in my way!"  
  
"Who sent you, Darwin?" Elmo asked. "Roy, I assume. Aeris01 and I couldn't stand it when he hazes the new people!"  
  
Elmo looked at Aeris01 for a few seconds, communicating in some silent, unknown language, then looked away.  
  
"You don't have to talk to talk about me in the third person."  
  
"I'm not talking to you right now" Elmo said to Roy, Elmo was seemingly pre-occupied with something else.  
  
Semaj held out his hand for Elmo to shake, the gasps of several members, both of FANFIC and Genex were audible.  
  
Elmo smiled and shook Semaj's hand vigorously.  
  
"I've been wanting to meet you for a while." Said Elmo  
  
Semaj nodded "Likewise, but I heard you were…"  
  
"..dead? I admit, it was a close run thing, but I got through here."  
  
Predicably, it started to rain. Elmo looked up at the sky, perplexed. "I thought it didn't rain in the Dreamscape?"  
  
"No offence Elmo, but what you know about the Dreamscape could be written on a postage stamp and STILL leave room for the Chinese Phone book."  
  
Elmo laughed "True, I have much to learn, Now, let's get some shelter."  
  
They walked to the Citadel, which had landed not far away, a lot of Genex members looked at it in awe, they'd read about it, but never seen it. The entrance opened, like the petals of a flower embracing the morning sunshine.  
  
"Been redecorating since I left I see?" asked Semaj.  
  
Elmo smiled again, he looked at Aeris01 who returned his stare, but neither of them said a word to each other.  
  
"You go wait inside" said Elmo "I'm going to go and have a think, I need some time alone."  
  
Semaj nodded.. Elmo clicked his fingers and disappeared.  
  
Semaj looked at him "That's the same old Elmo, I know…"  
  
Inside the Citadel, a banquet was laid out.  
  
"How could he make this at such short notice?" asked one Genex member  
  
"Elmo's a very powerful mage, I heard he can create anything he wants to". Said another.  
  
Semaj smiled "I'd say that FANFIC members haven't anything better to do, so they cook." The Gen-ex members laughed while the assorted FANFIC members scowled, they looked at Roy, who was technically in command, and he smiled.  
  
Aeris01 looked distracted and asked Semaj "Mind if I lend your Hover-bike? I need to go for a ride."  
  
"But Amanda, there's a storm brewing."  
  
She patted him on the back "I've been through worse than this, I promise I'll bring the bike back in one piece."  
  
"But it's not the bike I'm…." Semaj started, but Aeris01 had already gone.  
  
Some distance away, in a small house, Elmo sat at the end of a bed, he looked around the room. Hung on the back of the door was a dressing gown, it had a fluffy bunny rabbit hanging out of one pocket, and on the other side was embroidered the words "AERITH"  
  
He sadly walked downstairs and stared into the fireplace, the fire still burning from all those years ago….  
  
Aeris01 lept on the Hoverbike and it hummed into life. The Rain pourd down, and the wind whipped the cloak around her legs, butr she didn't seem to care as she accelerated away.  
  
Elmo started talking, half to himself, half to the house… "it's strange how things change isn't it? I don't know how to feel, seeing her again, I wanted to hold her, but she doesn't want me anymore." He pulled a small box out of his pocket and looked at it for a second, transfixed by the flames. "Certain things belong to the past…" he mused to himself….  
  
  
  
The wind howled around Aeris01's ears, and the rain was pouring harder than ever, the thunder rolled around her, but still she pressed on. Riding into the tempest, towards her destination….  
  
Elmo pulled a poem out of his pocket and threw it contemptuously into the fire, he watched it burn for a while before walking upstairs.  
  
Elmo's room was as he left it, nearly 5 years ago now. He'd spend 16 years of his life here, raising Aerith Gainsborough until she was old enough to attend RPG High. It was supposed to be his penence for screwing up reality so badly. The house remained, deep within the dreamscape, it remained Elmo's sanctuary. Whenever things got too hard, he'd often return. Aeris01 and him had stayed here after the demise of Aeris01's AOC, and now, here he was. Elmo lit a candle and reached under the bed, he pulled out a box, and peered at the contents….  
  
Aeris01 was so preoccupied with her destination, she nearly hit a tree that was inexplicably growing in the middle of the road, she swerved and drove on. The storm raged on around her…  
  
  
  
The letters Elmo had written was strewn over the bed. Most had no been looked at by another soul, others had been sent to him while Aeris01 was at FANFIC academy, he read a couple of passages and smiled, the memory floating on the top of his consciousness before being sucked under again. He put the letters back in the box and carried them downstairs…  
  
  
  
Lighning struck the ground next to the bike, the hover-bike cartwheeled violently and threw Aeris01 off. She lay for a few seconds, before picking up the bike, She sat on it, and offered a silent prayer to whatever gods were listening. The bike started first time…..  
  
  
  
Elmo stared intently at the fire, and looked at the box. He sighed deeply and made his decision….  
  
"Nearly there" Aeris01 thought, as an oasis of calm filled the horizon. The flowers surrounded the small shack and she could smell them from here., smoke came out of the chimney. The bike skidded to a halt…  
  
Elmo dusted himself down and put on his coat. "My time here's finished, Time to see how Semaj is getting on…" He opened the door, and stood there, hand ready to knock, battered, bruised and soaking wet, was Aeris01….  
  
"OhellisI'msorryI'msorryIcameallthiswaytoseeyouI'msorrycanwechatI'msorry" she said breathlessly  
  
"You'd better come in" said Elmo as he removed his coat and put it over her shoulders.  
  
"Elmo…" she started weakly  
  
"Come, come sit by the fire." Said Elmo, sitting her down on a couch  
  
"Elmo…" she started again..  
  
"Want a cup of tea? I'll make a pot…" interrupted Elmo  
  
"Elmo! I didn't come this far to have a cup of tea. I want to tell you something."  
  
Elmo sat down. "I thought you'd said all you wanted to say to me"  
  
Aeris01 shook her head. "There's more I want to say, but it's so hard…"  
  
Her head was in her hands and she shook, but not because of the cold,  
  
She looked deep in Elmo's eyes, her eyes hidden by a shallow pool of tears. "I never wanted to hurt you…"  
  
Elmo touched her by the hand "it's okay…. We always promised each other that we would be honest with each other…."  
  
Aeris01 shook her head "Oh Ellis, don't you see? I wasn't honest with you."  
  
Elmo looked perplexed "What are you telling me?"  
  
"Ellis, I was scared, Scared alright? The rest of my future was like the top of a rollercoaster, and I was looking down. I didn't know what would happen, I was afraid, and I'm sorry I did what I did. There, you happy now?"  
  
"You came all this way, just to say you're sorry?" asked Elmo, his voice quivering.  
  
Aeris01 shook her head again. "No Ellis." She looked in Elmo's eyes once more. "I came for more than your forgiveness"  
  
"Then tell me Amanda."  
  
Aeris01 took a deep breath, summoning some hidden pool of courage.  
  
"I came to tell you…. I love you. I've never stopped loving you, and I don't want to lose you, I don't want to let you go…I want you to take me back Ellis…"  
  
Elmo sat, stunned, unable to look Aeris01 in the eye.  
  
Aeris01 was concerned and tried to look Elmo in the eye, he continued staring at the floor. And closed his eyes, a single tear fell, and darkened the white carpet by the fire.  
  
His voice barely a whisper "I love you too…."  
  
Aeris01's tears broke the dam of her emotions and poured out "Then look me in the eyes and tell me Ellis, Tell me that you love me…"  
  
Elmo's eyes were red, and he looked her in the eyes, gently smiling, "Amanda… I love you, Of course I'll forgive you, maybe fate will call me a sucker, but right now, right here I just don't care."  
  
Aeris01 moved closer to Elmo, and embraced him, both in tears , he wiped a tear away from her cheek and kissed her gently, she drew him closer and returned her kiss with love. She put her head next to his, holding him close, eyes closed, dreaming of the path that was the future…. A path that they would walk together….  
  
Upstairs, under the bed lay a small box, the letters had been folded neatly and kept safely, like crystalised memories living forever, and never dying… 


End file.
